Reunion
by Lady Cherry Blossom
Summary: Merlin had been living in the Crystal Cave for centuries when destiny called. Disguised as a sixth year student, he went to Hogwarts to watch over Harry Potter during the Triwizard Tournament and to wait for Voldemort's rebirth. However, during the second task his cover was unexpectedly destroyed by certain prat. Continued.
1. Chapter 1

**AN: Hi! I repost this chapter after having it betaed by 1DarkPhoenix1 (you're great!) so you don't have to bear my mistakes anymore!**

**Thank everyone for reviews, especially those with feedback. I will continue this, you can expect a new chapter at the end of February.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own **_**Merlin**_** or **_**Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire**_**.**

The day was rather cloudy. Cold wind ran through his coat, making him tremble. Merlin was standing behind the students, who gathered around barriers of the platforms, silently watching the second task in the Triwizard Tournament. The spectators around were quiet as well, talking to each other in low voices. They were waiting for one of the participants to show, alone or with their friend from under the lake. People were growing nervous after Dumbledore's statement about the failure of Fleur Delacour.

Merlin couldn't see either Ron or Hermione, so he assumed they had to be part of the task. It was cruel to make Harry choose between his closest friends. However, Gillyweed was smart idea; it gave the boy high probability of winning. The former manservant smirked as he thought to himself that he would have done the same, but his smile quickly faded. The warlock just wanted everyone to be ok.

Merlin had been really happy that he hadn't had to help during the first task with the dragons. The thought of keeping dragons as pets made him sick, but he couldn't do anything, not yet. It was still too early for everyone to know who he really was and he hated it. Instead, the warlock promised himself that he would release them later.

After Arthur's death he didn't go back to Camelot. Using magic, Merlin had sent a letter to Gaius and Gwen, but he couldn't find strength to face them, not after his failure. He had stayed near the Avalon Lake for a week before the knights found him. They informed him that the Queen had lifted the ban on magic and wanted him as a Court Sorcerer but he refused.

He had watched over his best friend's grave for years, building a small hut nearby to live in. The knights sometimes visited him, but without Gwaine and Arthur it wasn't the same. Merlin felt like he was empty, without Arthur his life had no purpose.

After five years there he noticed that he wasn't aging. Merlin understood that he was meant to wait for Arthur to come back, however long it took. It was a curse, but he deserved it. He deserved worse than that, after all he was the reason for Arthur's death. However, he aged himself magically to hide it from his family and friends so that they wouldn't worry.

Unsurprisingly, Gaius died first. Hunith was next, two years later, due to an illness incurable even by magic. Percival died a year after Merlin's mother, having been wounded during battle. One month later Leon was shot by an arrow. Gwen was last of his friends to die; she lived ten years longer than her husband but then she was poisoned. The Queen died childless and the war for Camelot's throne began. No one won, but the kingdom was destroyed because of it.

Merlin doubted he would be able to look Arthur in the face when he came back. He had heard about the falling of Camelot when it was too late to do anything. He felt like he failed once again. So, he changed himself into Dragoon and left the Lake, moving into the Crystal Cave, where he could watch over the world from afar. Not long after that, Four Founders set up a school near the Lake. Arthur was well guarded, even without Merlin there.

He didn't want to cause more damage than he already had, so he didn't let himself help even once after that. It didn't matter how much he wanted to, his fear kept him in the Cave.

When Voldemort appeared again during Harry Potter's first year at Hogwarts, the warlock knew he would have to do something, but it was not time to yet. He waited anxiously for three years until the crystals showed him the future for the first time in centuries. He saw the scene at the graveyard where Voldemort was going to be reborn and he knew he had to listen and interfere.

So Merlin wrote a letter to the headmaster asking to join sixth year at Hogwarts. He told Dumbledore that he had been homeschooled before. Being at Hogwarts was the best way to prevent the rebirth of the Dark Lord, as some called him, and not let him to destroy the balance. And here he was, pretending to be an average Hufflepuff, being taught things he had known for centuries, and trying to hide in the shadows until the time was right.

The appearance of Cedric Diggory and Cho Chang returned Merlin to reality. A few moments later Victor Krum and Hermione also showed themselves.

Next arrived Ron and Fleur's sister, with Harry jumping out just after them. Everyone cheered and Merlin breathed deeply. No one was hurt.

The students went back to the coast in boats; the ones that normally transported first years to the castle. They were about to go back inside to warm themselves when a sudden flow of magic almost made Merlin faint. It was coming from the Lake. Others seemed to feel it too, because they stopped and turned around. Merlin, still facing toward the school, saw the shock appearing on their faces and the widening of their eyes. Slowly, he turned around_._

A figure appeared at the surface, walking on water towards them. For a moment Merlin thought it was Freya and mentally cursed her for blowing his cover. But then he looked closer and saw weak light reflecting from chainmail, a red cape falling from wide shoulders. _Impossible. _The figure walked towards them and with every step Merlin was more and more sure that he was dreaming. Before he had even realized that he was moving, he was standing in the Lake, freezing water going through his shoes and wetting his feet.

Arthur was now so close that Merlin could reach him with his arm.

"What is it, _Mer_lin? Is it the way you're going to greet your king?" He was smiling, like they were on a hunting trip again and Merlin had just told a joke. Like nothing had happened. Anger rose in Merlin.

He had often imagined his reunion with his king. He had imagined the relief he would feel, the joy and hope. He had imagined himself laughing, crying, hugging the other half of his coin. Now Arthur was standing before him at last, all alive and well, and it wasn't going anything like how Merlin had imagined.

He didn't hug Arthur. He didn't drop to his knees begging for forgiveness.

Instead he slapped him. Hard. The water behind him mimicked his movement and a great wave went through the entire Lake. He was buzzing with anger and magic alike. His wards, which covered his true power, disappeared. He was radiating magic. It cracked on his skin like electricity.

"How dare you?! How dare you die on me?! Leave me?!" he felt hot tears stain his cheeks. "I have waited for you, for centuries! Can you even imagine how I felt?"

Arthur looked scared and ashamed. It calmed Merlin's anger a bit.

"I'm sorry, Merlin, I truly am." Arthur's eyes softened, reading between Merlin's words like he was an open book. "It wasn't your fault. You didn't fail, do you understand? You couldn't do anything. Neither about my death nor Camelot's fall." Merlin gasped at the former king's last words. Tears streamed from the warlock's eyes, even more than they had before.

"Yeah, did you think I would leave such a clumsy fool alone without keeping an eye on him? I watched you from Avalon and wished I could come back. I'm sorry I didn't return faster."

All of Merlin's previous anger faded. Finally, he hugged Arthur. Half of him expected that his fingers would meet air; that Arthur was only a dream, a cruel joke of his mind, but his friend was real. He had come back. Finally.

Their moment of reunion was interrupted by the Golden Trio. They gaped with opened mouths for a moment. Then Hermione cleared her throat. They reluctantly broke apart and she asked "Marvin, right? What the hell just happened?"

"This is Arthur. He is…" his explanation was interrupted by Ron.

"Merlin's beard, you just came of a lake?" Arthur stared at him for a moment and then started laughing wildly. Merlin frowned. Ron looked confused. "What? What did I say?"

Arthur tried to calm himself. "I'm sorry. It's just, it's just…haha…Merlin's…ha…Merlin's…"

Finally, he managed to stop laughing. "I'm sorry. I just didn't expect this." He looked at his friend. "Did they call you Marvin? Why?"

"We're pretty well known, you know. I can't just walk around claiming that I'm the most powerful warlock to ever live!"

The teens looked shocked. "You mean…"

"Sorry, I should introduce us_ properly_." The King gave his former servant death glare. "I'm Arthur Pendragon, son of Uther Pendragon, former king of Camelot and this is my manservant and friend, Merlin. He waited for me to return from death in the time of greatest need. And here I am."

They paled and Ron looked like he was going to faint. Merlin sighed. "Maybe we should go inside and I will explain everything."

The others nodded and they slowly began to walk towards Hogwarts. After few minutes of silence Arthur asked. "Merlin, what are we dealing with?"

"Oh, the rebirth of an evil sorcerer who claims to be the most powerful one ever. He wants to become immortal and conquer both the magical and non-magical worlds."

"So the usual?"

They both grinned. The coin was whole at last.


	2. Chapter 2

**AN: Hey guys! Thanks so much for your reviews! They really make my day and when I see I got one I always grin like an idiot. Please, let me know what you think about this chapter too.  
**

**Disclaimer: I don't own **_**Merlin**_** or **_**Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire**_**.**

Arthur followed Merlin, Harry, Ron and Hermione into the castle. It was big, almost as big as Camelot's higher town. It was also magnificent. However, Arthur could clearly see that Hogwarts wasn't built for defense. Its walls were too thin, towers too high, windows too big. The list was long. It was obvious to him that the building wouldn't survive an enemy's attack unless helped by magic.

They entered a hall and headed to the 'headmaster's office' as Merlin called it. Arthur had only a vague idea what that was but he suspected that there would be someone who was in charge. The warlock told the students that he would explain everything, but only with the headmaster there, as he deserved to know what was going on in his school.

They walked in silence. The teens were too absorbed in sending the king and his servant suspicious glances. It was obvious that they didn't believe their story. Merlin was walking next to Arthur. The warlock was deep in his thoughts and memories. A shadow of a smile was dancing on his lips. Arthur, for the first time since his return, had a moment to look closer at his friend. Merlin didn't look any older than he had when he had come to Camelot centuries before. His hair was as dark as it always had been, though a bit longer now; it covered his eyebrows and big ears. He wore a long dark robe and, to Arthur's big surprise, he had a yellow-black tie instead of his usual neckerchief.

The only trace of his actual age was in his eyes. They had the same familiar shade of blue sky on a winter's day, but they were ancient now. The king could clearly see the weight of centuries reflecting in them. If Arthur hadn't watched Merlin through the ages, the eyes of his friend would tell him everything. However, the sparks of hope and joy had lit within them since the blonde had appeared. It gave the royal hope that the wounds in his soul made by guilt and loneliness would heal in time, even if they would leave scars.

Suddenly, Harry, Ron and Hermione stopped before the massive statue of a griffin. Apparently, they had arrived to their destination. The griffin brought back bad memories, but Arthur concentrated on reality. He couldn't afford sinking into the past, not yet at least. Harry said something and the statue moved aside revealing stone steps. The teens rushed up them without second thought. The former king and manservant hesitantly went after them. Soon, the knocking echoed in the corridor, followed by "Come in" from the office. The red-headed wizard opened the doors and they entered the room.

The office was spacious but cozy at the same time. Shelves full of books and magical artifacts took up more space than anything else. On the walls hung portraits of sleeping people, but when Arthur looked closer he noticed that they were moving; taking breaths and some of them snoring. It was weird but it wasn't the weirdest thing he had seen in his live, it really was nothing compared to his once-donkey ears or troll almost-stepmother.

Behind a wooden desk stood a tall man with a long white beard and white hair. He had glasses on his nose and wore a long light robe and a strange hat. He was smiling politely. When he saw Arthur his smile wavered a little, showing confusion, but a moment later it widened even more.

"Good afternoon, Harry, Ron, Hermione, Marvin. Who is your friend?"

Arthur wanted to answer but Merlin sent him a _I-will-take-care-of-it-so-shut-up _glare. "I am afraid it's a bit complicated. Firstly, I have to apologize for lying to you, professor. I made up the story of being a homeschooled wizard. And my name isn't Marvin." The Headmaster looked at him, his eyes demanding more information.

"It will be difficult to believe me but I ask you to try. I'm sure I will sound like an insane person but I can prove you that I'm telling the truth."The manservant took a deep breath before continuing. "My real name is Merlin and this is King Arthur." The next words rushed from his mouth quickly before anyone could interrupt him.

"I have been alive this whole time; living alone and waiting for Arthur to rise again. At the beginning of the year I decided to involve myself after a vision I had. It was about the third Triwizard's task. During it Voldemort will return and I cannot let that happen." The warlock looked around. Shock was painted all over the headmaster's face. He looked stunned by the information as did the Golden Trio. After a few moments the old man sighed. "How do I know that you are telling the truth?"

Before he could answer, Harry burst out, "Did you feel that rush of power? It was him."

"It was great magic, but I could do something similar. It proves only that he is powerful."

"Ach, sorry about that. I lost control and some of my magic slipped."

"Some? It wasn't your whole power?!" Ron hissed.

"About half. Maybe a third. Or less? Anyway…"Merlin averted his eyes to his king. "Give me your sword." Arthur hesitated but he did it. Then Merlin passed the blade to Albus. The professor examined Excalibur carefully and gave it back to the blonde. Something changed in his expression. "This sword was made with an ancient magic and was forged in a dragon's breath. I have seen something like it only once before, in the Department of Mysteries. It was named 'a piece of Mordred's blade'. I believe you." The teens relaxed. Merlin hadn't realized that they had been tense before. They hadn't believed them, but now, after professor's declaration, they took his words as truth. The trust they had in Dumbledore amazed the warlock.

"I owe you some explanations. Should I tell you the whole story of Camelot or just the basic information?"

Sparks of curiosity lit Hermione's eyes. She blushed. "The whole story, if you could." Merlin smiled at her to give her some courage. They knew who he was and it was obvious that it intimidated and overwhelmed them. The former servant hoped that in time they would stop treating him like a hero and would see a human being instead. He sighed. "Shall we sit first?" Dumbledore conjured chairs and they all sat down.

"Ok, but I will have to cut the story short or it would take us a few nights. Before I start I have to warn you that most of things you think you know about Camelot are false. The history was written by Geoffrey of Monmouth, who just loved drama. Through the ages the story was twisted even more, now it is barely recognizable." He stopped for a moment, gathering his thoughts.

"Centuries ago, in Camelot there lived a king. He was fair and just, his people loved him. He cared about his land greatly. He ruled alongside his beautiful wife, whose name was…"

"Guinevere? Was it King Arthur?" Ron's cheeks were colored with excitement. Hermione hushed him.

"No, it wasn't. It will be simpler if you stop interrupting me. The king's name was Uther Pendragon and his wife was called Ygraine. They loved each other very much but they couldn't have a child so they turned to a powerful sorceress, Nimueh, and asked for her help. She agreed and not long after the queen was pregnant and gave a birth to a boy. Her son was named Arthur. However, the sorceress didn't inform the pair about the price. You see, ancient magic was different than this new kind. You could do anything with it, but you had to give back something of equal value to the Old Religion. Nimueh gave the child life and so a life was required back. Ygraine died. The king couldn't come to terms with it. He was consumed by grief and anger and wanted something to blame. He found his enemy in magic. Uther banned it from his country on penalty of death. Under his command hundreds of sorcerers were burned at the pyre. He slayed all dragons save one, whom he locked under the castle. He killed the Dragonlords, people with ability to command dragons but with a different kind of magic than sorcerers. Only one of them, his friend, named Balinor managed to run away. Later these events were called 'The Great Purge'."

"Balinor ran away to a small village at the border called Ealdor. There he met a woman, Hunith. They fell in love, but soon Balinor had to run again, leaving his lover behind. He didn't know that she was with child. Nine months later a boy was born. Hunith named him Merlin. The boy had magic, unusual magic. Old Religion required years of studying to learn spells, but I didn't need to study. Magic came to me through the force of my will. My mother told me that I used it before I was even two months old."

"Does that mean that you're actually younger than the king?" Hermione's surprise was obvious.

"Yeah, about a year younger. I guess everyone knows me as an old man because I sometimes disguised myself as such so I wouldn't be discovered."

"Anyway, I lived with my mother until I was seventeen. Then my best friend saw me doing magic. My mum decided that Ealdor wasn't safe for me anymore and sent me to Camelot to my uncle, Gaius. He was a Court Physician and had practiced magic before the Purge. He helped me to take control of my magic. I was meant to be his apprentice, but I saved Arthur's life and Uther made me his manservant."

"Servant?! _You_ were a _servant_?!" Ron exclaimed, finding it hard to believe.

"Hush! I want to finish the story before midnight. Yes, Ron, I was a servant and a bad one, too. Arthur and I hated each other at first, but as time went by and we saved each other again and again, our arguments became banter. We became friends; though we would have never admitted that. I already knew about my destiny back then, but I didn't help Arthur because of it, but because I thought that he would be a great king."

"And then you told him about your magic?"

"God, no! I wish I did but I was, I _am_ a coward. I don't mind going into a battle or sacrificing myself for my friends. My greatest fear, besides not managing to save someone I hold dear, is being rejected. I had lied to Arthur for the ten years I'd known him. We faced thousands of enemies, both magical and non-magical. I had always tried to protect him from his destiny and ironically it doomed us both." He took deep, shaking breath.

"My friend Morgana, the king's ward and Arthur's half sister, was a witch too. She was terrified about it. I didn't help her though and she turned against us. Then I poisoned her. It was the only choice, it was her or Camelot, but that doesn't change the fact that I did it. After that she became Camelot's greatest enemy." Merlin choked with the last word. After a moment of tense silence he continued. "We met a druid boy, Mordred, when he was eight years old, and we saved his live. Years later, when Arthur was a king, he returned and was knighted. He was willing to become my ally. However, I was suspicious of him. I cast him away, every time he came to me. He was in love with a druid girl, Kara, who was a follower of Morgana and tried to kill Arthur. Arthur had no choice but to sentence her to death. They escaped, but I told the king about it and she was killed."

"Mordred joined Morgana after that and together they gathered an army. The druid told her who I was; the Emrys that the prophecies were about. The witch took my magic, just before the battle of Camlann. I had to leave Arthur and go to the Crystal Cave to get my powers back. Knowing this, she trapped me there but I managed to free myself. I rushed to the battlefield and destroyed Morgana's army. However, I was too late. Mordred had mortally wounded Arthur. I tried to save him, take him to Avalon Lake where he could be healed. I didn't get there in time. He died in my arms."

"The Dragon told me he would come back. I've waited, my body stopped aging. I watched as my friends got older and one by one left me. I let Camelot burn down."

"Wizards see me as a hero, a winner, the most powerful warlock to ever walk on Earth. But I am just a tired old man with too many sins on his shoulders."


	3. Chapter 3

**AN: A bit earlier this month. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own **_**Merlin**_** or **_**Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire**_**.**

"_Wizards see me as a hero, a winner, the most powerful warlock to ever walk on Earth. But I am just a tired old man with too many sins on his shoulders." _

A loud _smack_ echoed in the room, interrupting the pregnant silence. Arthur had stood up, and was now glaring with fury at Merlin. The servant was rubbing his head to make the pain caused by the hit go away.

"What the hell?" the warlock demanded, having been caught off guard by Arthur's reaction.

"Are you insane? Have you gotten crazy over the years?" Arthur's voice was low, dangerous. It rose with every word. Merlin would prefer yelling. "What did I tell you, Merlin?!" He didn't say precisely what he meant by that, but he didn't need to. Both of them knew that the blonde talked about the day of his death and the words in which he had said goodbye to the warlock.

"_I don't want you to change. I want you to always be you."_

"I tried. Gods know how hard I tried. But I didn't have anyone to remind me." Arthur's fierce expression began to soften. "Time went on and I started to forget. One day I realized I couldn't recall your voice. I started to forget your face. I was so scared that when you came back, I wouldn't recognize you. I'm sorry. I'm _so_ sorry." Tears filled the servant's eyes but he didn't let them fall.

"No, Merlin, _I_'m sorry. I left you." Arthur gulped. "You can't torture yourself like that. Morgana and Mordred chose their paths themselves; no one could change their minds. You couldn't have prevented my death or the fall of Camelot either, those events were prophesized long before our births. No force could change it. Do you hear me? There was nothing more you could do."

"Arthur…" Merlin's voice was small, vulnerable. He looked like he was made of glass and could break at any moment. However, the guilt left his eyes and the King knew he would be ok. It would take time, but his friend would be all right. Arthur sent him a smile and added the words he had said once before. "Thank you. For everything you have done for me."

Merlin responded with a weak, but relieved smile. Then they both turned to the Headmaster and the teens. "If we have that all cleared up, we can move on to more current events. As I told you, I had a vision of Voldemort's rebirth. It was happening during the third task in the Triwizard Tournament. You and the other contestants were in a Labyrinth. Harry and Cedric were the first to reach the cup, but it was a Portkey. You were taken by it to the graveyard where Riddle's father had been buried. Peter Pettigrew and the Deatheaters were waiting for you there. Peter killed Cedric and captured you. He performed a ritual of the Old Religion, I wish I knew how he had learned about it, and he resurrected Voldemort. Then the vision stopped."

The others all paled visibly. Ron faltered on his feet and, for a moment, Merlin was scared that he would faint. It was clear that none of them had ever considered the possibility of the return of the most dangerous wizard in centuries. Merlin knew that he had to reassure them somehow or it would haunt them in their nightmares. He understood them and their fear very well. They were behaving just like people in Camelot had when they had heard of Morgana.

"I have to tell you that I've never been able to change Destiny before. However, I believe that this time will be different since I was informed about it. The Old Religion literally made me come here to prevent such a big change in the Balance of Life and Death. I'm sure we won't let it happen, not when we are together." The warlock looked around with a large grin, trying to show how sure of it he was.

"We have a lot of time to talk about that though. Now, we have more burning problem to solve. We have to hide Arthur. Whereas I can still pose as a sixth year student, he can't. He doesn't know anything about magic." Merlin was glad he could change the topic, but he hadn't the slightest idea of what were they going to do about the King.

"Maybe we can tell everyone that the person from the Lake was a ghost messenger? It wouldn't stop people from gossiping but it would be a good explanation for why someone was walking on the water. And maybe we can just hide Arthur somewhere?" Hermione proposed. It seemed that even confusion and fear couldn't influence her brilliant brain.

"Great idea with the ghost, but the second part won't work. He is a prat and he can't sit on his backside for a day, never mind a few weeks."

"Hey! I will put you in the stocks for that!" Arthur snapped, though he didn't seem angry.

"No you won't. Besides, there aren't any stocks nowadays."

"You don't have to hide in the school, Your Majesty. You can stay in London with Harry's godfather, Sirius Black. I'm sure he will be glad to help you." Dumbledore offered, interrupting them. Arthur frowned at his words.

"Arthur. Please, just call me Arthur." He sighed. "I appreciate your offer but I can't leave Merlin on his own, not now. Someone has to look after him, he is a magnet for danger."

"Am not, you clotpole! You are the reason I am always in trouble!"

"Excuses, excuses. I'm sure that if …" They both were happy to go back to their usual banter but Harry interrupted him.

"Maybe he doesn't have to be a sixth or fourth year student?"

"Oh." Merlin's eyes flashed with understanding. "That's… That's a brilliant idea! I haven't thought about it in that way, but actually I think it's our only option." He smiled, but it quickly changed into evil grin. "He will be furious about it, so I love it even more."

"You do realize that I'm in the room, _Mer_lin? What are you two talking about?" It was good to have the old Merlin back, but Arthur definitely didn't like his friend's expression. He had seen it countless times before. It always meant trouble.

"You will be a Hogwarts's student." Hermione smiled under her nose and Dumbledore nodded, giving his permission. Only Ron and the King still didn't understand. The warlock looked at the royal and muttered a simple spell quietly. His eyes flashed with gold. The wizards jolted, surprised with the sudden use of Old Magic. The armor the blonde was wearing changed into a black robe with Gryffindor's colors. "Better. You will be in their house."

"But the hat!" Hermione looked slightly affronted.

"OK, sorry. I will put that stupid hat on him, but it won't change anything. He's one hundred percent a Gryffindor." He pulled it from the top shelf near the Headmaster's desk and placed it on the King's head. After a few seconds the hat confirmed his statement. "Told you?" He averted his eyes from the witch towards Arthur. "You can't do magic and you don't have the ability to do so you're going to have to pretend. Give me Excalibur."

Arthur was a bit surprised that the magic that changed his clothes had left the sword alone but then he remembered that Merlin had called it 'the sword forged in dragon's breath' when he had killed Morgana. It wasn't a normal blade. The blonde gave the weapon to his friend. Merlin took it and frowned. "Right, I will need…" He said a few foreign words and put his hand into one of his pockets. He took out a beautiful red stone and placed it in the top of Excalibur's handle. Then he chanted another spell and the sword transformed into a wand. It was long and smooth, simple but elegant. The ruby was placed on the bottom of it. Merlin smiled and gave the wand back to the King. "Here. I did the same thing with my Sidhe staff; the wands are much too fragile for my magic." He pulled it out to show them. The wand was light, almost gray and seemed used, but that didn't take its beauty away. In the place where Arthur's one had the ruby it had a blue stone.

When the others lost their interest in the item, Merlin hid it away again and pointed at the changed sword. "I charged the stone with a part of my power. This way you will be able to do magic, but I'll have to charge it again at some point. And if you ever need the sword back, you just need to say 'Excalibur'."

Arthur looked at his former manservant with awe, but he quickly covered it with a bored expression. Merlin smirked under his nose, easily seeing the emotions behind the King's mask. The blonde never had managed to hide anything from the warlock, and it seemed like that hadn't changed.

"I'll give you some stuff from my case, you couldn't have arrived empty-handed and I have too much anyway. Now, your identity. Your first name can stay, it's pretty common, but we have to change your surname." He looked around, thinking. "Pendragon, Dragon, King, Penn… oh, maybe Penny?"

"Arthur Penny? It sounds ok." Ron agreed. The others nodded.

"What about a cover story? Merlin had one, didn't he?" Arthur tried not to show how confused he was. How on earth could he now introduce himself as Arthur Penny? Pendragon sounded mighty, and Penny… Merlin cut his train of thoughts.

"You can be a muggle born; it would explain why you don't know anything about magic, just try not to talk about Muggles. You live in London with your father and older sister, Morgan. You were in a hospital, a muggle hospital, maybe because of a car accident? We can say that you had a complicated break in your leg so you only got out in December and you had rehabilitation 'til now, but you are fully recovered." He turned to the teens and Dumbledore. "What do you think about it?"

"I think it is a good excuse." The Headmaster gave his permission after a moment.

"But he still looks too old," reminded Hermione. Merlin responded with the same dark grin as before. Then, he looked at the King.

"I'll cast a spell on you, just like I did with myself so I look like I did when I was sixteen. I've never done it with anyone but myself, but I'm sure it will work." He placed his hand on Arthur's shoulder. "_Miht dagan, beþecce me. Adeadaþ þisne gast min freondum ond min feondum_*_.__" _His eyes turned into melted gold. Arthur felt when Merlin's magic began flowing through his body. A strange feeling built in his stomach. Suddenly, he started to become smaller and smaller. He panicked when the thought that it wouldn't stop and he would fade away crossed his mind, but eventually the feeling of magic disappeared. The first thing he noticed was the fact that Merlin had changed his robe too, so that it still fit perfectly. Then he looked up and froze. Everything was big. The warlock, who had only been a few inches shorter than him a minute ago, was now at least two heads taller. He finally realized what Harry had meant and let out a girly squeak. "What have you done to me, idiot?!" His voice was high. Merlin's smile widened.

"Don't shout. I just did what you wanted – changed your age." He moved closer, trying to get a better look at his now younger friend. His eyes shone with pure amusement. "Welcome to the first year of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry."

"One more word, Merlin, and I swear you will have to clean all the floors in the entire castle." Merlin just grinned. Arthur guessed he didn't look very kingly when he was eleven. Bloody spell.

"I didn't say anything, Sire. Or should I call you 'young master'?"

"Merlin?"

"Yes?"

"Shut up."

***I took the spell from Merlin wiki, it's the one with which he turned into Dragoon.**

**Review?**


	4. Chapter 4

**AN: I just noticed that I've put Dumbledore in the first chapter and then introduced him in the second, LOL. I've changed it, but still.**

**Anyway, thanks a lot to everyone who reviewed/ favourited/followed.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own **_**Merlin**_** or **_**Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire**_**.**

As soon as they had finished talking with the Headmaster, the teens went with Arthur and Merlin to the Hufflepuffs' dorm. As they walked there, Hermione and Ron took the opportunity to show the blond the classrooms and corridors that they were passing. The dorm was next to the kitchen and the beautiful smell of food filled the air of the entire corridor. They entered the common room and followed Merlin to the dormitory he shared with four other boys. As he had promised, Merlin then gave Arthur some of his clothes, a mix of both the Muggle and wizarding kind, as well as some other necessary things, like a toothbrush. He had all required books for the first year, too. Arthur thought it was strange, but that was _Merlin_ after all; he did many uncanny things. However, when the royal shared this thought with the servant, Merlin just laughed and explained that he had bought them along with the ones for all the classes from second to sixth year before entering the school in order to know the range of knowledge he should possess. He hadn't wanted to expose himself using a spell he shouldn't have known.

Then Harry, Ron and Hermione took the King to their dorm. By that time it was eight o'clock. They had missed dinner, so everyone was really happy when a few minutes later Merlin came in with food that he had sneaked out from the kitchen. It seemed that he was liked by the elves, because the plates were full of delicious courses which Arthur recognized as the servant's favorites.

They ate together, first in silence, and then listening to Merlin's usual babbling, which he started as soon as he finished his serving. He talked mostly to Arthur, about the modern world, explaining the most basic changes in Muggles' lives and a bit about the magical society. He told him about the school, too; the new lessons, the teachers, the plan of the day. He talked in a low voice, so nobody unwanted could hear. Arthur listened carefully, trying not to look too interested. Yes, he had watched over the warlock, but not constantly and the idiot had spent most of his lone years in the Crystal Cave, walking out only when he had to. The blond hadn't had many opportunities to look at normal people and he found himself fascinated with modern technology. He wanted to know everything and hoped that they could explore it properly someday when Destiny finally left them alone.

The Golden Trio sat next to the King, as hypnotized as the royal was. They already knew the things Merlin spoke about, of course; they were obvious even to Ron. What mesmerized them was the warlock himself. It was hard to take their eyes off him. Merlin talked with enthusiasm, his eyes sparkling with glee. He looked so much better than he had just an hour before, they hardly could believe it. Power was radiating from him in waves, pulsing in a steady rhythm. It wasn't as overwhelming as before, near the Lake; this magic seemed warm and calming. After the stressful day they had had, it was something they all wanted and needed.

"…and I would recommend watching out for the Potions teacher, Snape. He's a bit…"

"Hi!" Suddenly, the warlock was interrupted by Neville, who had entered the room and headed towards them when he had spotted Harry, Ron and Hermione. Seeing the King and his servant, the friendly smile dropped from his face. He frowned a bit and his cheeks reddened. "Sorry, I didn't know you had a company. I should have, but… um, I will go and…"

Hermione interrupted him quickly to reassure the boy. "Neville, it's ok; we were just talking. This is Arthur, a new student. He's starting his first year, having recently recovered from an accident. Us three and Marvin were assigned to help him around until he becomes accustomed to Hogwarts. He's a muggle born; you know how it's confusing for them in the first few weeks here."

Neville sighed with relief and the smile came back on his face.

"Nice to meet you!" The enthusiasm in his voice made the sentence more than just a common phrase; it sounded sincere coming from his mouth. Merlin smiled, too. He saw himself as he had been before Camelot in the boy and he hoped that his innocence stayed longer than the warlock's had. "You too, Marvin. I've seen you around, but I didn't know you were a Gryffindor."

"That's probably because I'm a Hufflepuff. I'm just walking Arthur to his dorm. My mother has been friends with his since university, so Arthur and I know each other as well. That's why the Headmaster asked me to look after him and help him to catch up."

"Oh. I understand. But if you are a Hufflepuff, shouldn't you be in your dorm by now? It's after lights out."

"What?!" Merlin looked at his watch. It was half past nine. He should have been in his room half an hour ago. Crap. "I should get going. See you tomorrow at the breakfast!" He smiled cheerfully and quickly walked out through the Fat Lady's painting, looking around before entering the corridor in case a teacher was there.

When the painting closed behind the warlock, Arthur sighed. Harry threw him a questioning look, but the King just ignored him. They talked with Neville about herbology for a while, but soon the boy left them. As soon as the other Gryffindor couldn't hear them, Harry looked at the blond with a frown and asked:

"Something's wrong?"

"No, nothing that you should worry about. I'm just a bit tired." Arthur sent them a half hearted smile. No matter how much Merlin had used to tease him about how obvious he was, only the warlock could have guessed that maybe he was a bit nervous about the next day, his first day at school. Arthur silently thanked gods that Merlin hadn't seen his feelings or he wouldn't have let the King live it down for weeks.

He sighed again and stood up, showing that the conversation was over. The teenagers noticed that even in the smaller body the blond could still look intimidating when he wanted to. Without a word they showed Arthur his new room, which to his surprise he had to share with two other first years, and left him alone.

It had been a long day and everyone needed to gather their thoughts.

Arthur's first day as a student of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry started badly.

He woke up late, because the most incompetent servant in the world (who cares that technically it was a former servant) hadn't come to get him out of the bed at the right time. He only realized that breakfast was about to start because he overheard two boys talking when they left. He quickly got dressed and stormed out of the dorm, but he got lost in the labyrinth of corridors and moving stairs. Eventually he found the Great Hall with the help of Sir Cadogan, but he wasn't sure whether he wouldn't prefer to roam through the castle a bit longer if it meant not meeting the knight. He was bloody _weird_.

When Arthur finally found Harry, Ron and Hermione, they were almost finished. They tried to talk to him, but the King was already in a foul mood and sulking, so the Golden Trio left him alone. Sometime later he saw Merlin leaving the Great Hall and when their eyes met Arthur nodded at him to come closer, but the warlock seemed to realize that Arthur was angry with him because the servant just smirked to the blond slyly and retreated. Arthur was left on his own again. Great.

Finding the classroom in which he would have History of Magic took him a while too, but he managed to find the room and sit at an empty desk before the bell rang.

When the lesson started, Arthur found out that the teacher was a ghost. The King had met one back in Camelot, a Druid child, and it hadn't been a nice experience. Luckily, he had been warned by Merlin the day before, so he didn't do something stupid like screaming a warning or attacking. Instead, he listened to Professor Binns' monologue. He couldn't deny that he was curious. Magic had always fascinated him, but as a prince or a king he couldn't have done any research about it. He decided to take this opportunity and learn something.

Suddenly, the doors opened with a bang and a short boy with brown hair walked in. He apologized for being late and found himself a place. Arthur wouldn't have minded about the interruption but then the boy sat directly next to the royal. The blond ignored him and tried to listen to the teacher, but the ghost's lesson turned out to be as boring as a Council meeting. He tried to fall sleep but the boy, who introduced himself as Henry Gordon, didn't allow him that pleasure. He started to talk and, dear god, he was even a bigger chatterbox than his useless servant. Arthur had an unpleasant feeling that he would be tormented by Henry the whole day.

It was definitely a bad start to the day and Arthur could already say that the remainder would be even worse.

A few hours later Arthur found himself in the Great Hall eating dinner with Harry and Hermione next to him and Ron and Merlin on the other side of the table. He had decided to stop sulking after spending an hour with Henry; he hadn't wanted to be left with the boy for longer than necessary. After three lessons as well as the lunch break between them, the royal was tired of him.

However, the King had noticed that Henry wasn't liked very much by the other students either; he hadn't talked to anyone but Arthur. Maybe the blond could make friends with him after all. He was annoying, but so was Merlin and Arthur somehow managed to put up with the idiot. Henry couldn't be very different and the royal needed someone to guide him through the wizards' world; Merlin couldn't be with him all the time and even the warlock had gaps in his knowledge due to his isolation.

The lessons were a nightmare. After boring History of Magic he'd had Transfiguration, which he couldn't understand at all. Why did anyone have to know how to change a fork into a spoon, when he could just take one when needed?

But it was nothing compared to the last lesson – Potions. That was the thing that he complained about the most.

"Snape is such a clotpole! How am I supposed to know what a bezoar is and what its applications are? I didn't have time to even open the book, not to mention read it. And he told me I only have 'til next Monday to catch up with the class. Can you believe it?! It's a pure madness!"

Merlin smirked. "If you had paid more attention to Gaius, you would know more about herbs and medicines. Besides, 'clotpole' is my word."

"But it matches him perfectly! And you know I didn't have time to play Gaius's apprentice with all the trainings and then ruling." Arthur snapped. "I told him the story we came up with yesterday and do you know what his answer was? That he doesn't care!"

"It sounds just like him." Harry smiled with understanding. "So what did you do?"

"Well what could I do? I argued with him, of course!"

"You argued with Snape and you're still alive?" Ron couldn't believe his ears. His eyes were wide as saucers.

"Yeah, and instead of agreeing with me and apologizing, he took fifty points from my house!" When Merlin laughed, the blond looked at him, confused. "What? What are you laughing at?!"

"Nothing, Sire. It's just good to know you are as much of a prat as I remember."


End file.
